My wife would here this song and ask why I listen to "depressing" music. I hear this, and it's fuel to keep moving forward. I am, and have been suicidal for more than a decade, but the heartbreak Ren shows makes me remember there are people that need me and people that love me. So I will never take my life, no matter how I feel. It's not about me. It's about those I love, and those who love me. I will continue to do what I have always done, keep it in, put a smile on and press on
I know how you feel. I've struggled with depression most of my adult life (I'm 58), and have sometimes had suicidal thoughts. This song and others like it remind me of how much I would hurt my loved ones. My dad's 2 brothers committed suicide within a year of each other when I was too young to remember them. I would never want to do that to my family and friends. I wrote a blog about suicide a few years ago, but I don't think anybody but family members read it. It was easy to be vulnerable knowing that was probably going to be the case. Ren is really brave to be that vulnerable to so many people.
Additional info, Ren initially planned this song to be just the first part (which has been ready for release for a while) but he felt it was incomplete and he was dreading releasing it. So he wrote the second part a few weeks ago after talking about Joe during his interview with Knox Hill. I think it's super impressive that he can just, like, if he thinks something's not "good" enough, proactively take the steps to make it better. It's very inspiring
I think the difference that sets Ren’s vulnerability apart from other artists is that he has a large amount of insight into his own situation and mental health. As a visual artist, I’ve always said that Greater specificity yields greater universality.
I'm glad you reuploaded this. I think it's really ironic that RUclips blocked your first upload for including material from Ren's community post that is already on RUclips. So many of us want to give Ren a big ol' hug. He did a Twitch stream (he's "renmakestwitch" there) the day after this release to let people know he really is OK, that while this was drawing authentically on a painful memory, he has also come to peace with the loss of his friend. He was more concerned about whether his fans are OK after hearing the song.
You can't stop re-thinking what could have been done differently.. And it`s not a choice.. Its just there all the time.. What if.. Great reaction.. Shit i love Ren
I guess this is the piece of content that made me decide it's time to go back to that grave I haven't seen in 15 years. My heart hurts for Ren. It's such a different loss. Even though it's been so long for me, it does feel strangely unresolved. I do miss those friends, we were never the same, we all fell apart. As I get older it feels more odd to miss him. I'm now pushing 40 missing an early 20-something. At this point, I think I miss who he could have been. Wasn't perfect, but he was a good kid, and I think he'd have been a good man one day. Sad that didn't happen.
I heard when he started recording that 2nd half he tried not to cry. He kept stopping recording to get it together. He finally decided to just let it all out, and left the raw emotion spill. I don't have sufficient words to describe what when and how much I relate 😢💜
I'm just glad mental health issues are more widely talked about and understood these days. 35 years ago they weren't, unless it was being talked about in hushed tones, like some dirty secret that was largely misunderstood. When you've had problems, you appreciate where things are at now with the subject. I'd encourage anyone NOT to bottle up how they're thinking or feeling and turn it inwards. Reach out, there's plenty of help nowadays and it's ok to not be ok.
I knew a friend like that.....i know that pain I understand the self blame I understand the numbing I understand the lack of self care I understand the memory blocking I understand the missing missing someone I understand alot of what he is saying. Cause i lost mike in 2013 in october........he was 17
The beauty of this song is it illustrates two sides of the suicide coin. The first half is about himself and the pain of living through what he was going through with Lyme and doing it would end his own pain. But then you flip the coin over it illustrates the the pain others feel if you do go through with it. It's that pendulum swaying from light to dark, the eternal dance. Live and suffer or die while others suffer from your loss.
As someone who had 2 attempts in the past couple years. Spent 72 hrs on a psych hold from my second one. Lost my family from toxic marriage/divorce. This stuff hits hard. I’m still struggling sometimes but I’m in a much better place now.
Sometimes the only thing that keeps us from ending it all is the smiles on other people's face. The only thing that kept me from jumping was seeing the beautiful smiling face of my daughter and then flashes of her sobbing i miss daddy.
Yeah, Ren used a couple of lines from Sick Boi. You should definitely check it out. And then everything else he has ever made 😂 So much greatness down the Ren rabbit hole - whether fun and upbeat or serious emotional songs. My personal favourites are The Hunger and Crutch feat. Bibi. This man is so damn talented and we need him. As for this song, it is a masterpiece. Ren is leading the way in getting us to talk about things we don’t talk about enough. The chorus in the first part is even so catchy that he is not only getting us talking about suicide but singing it 😅 And then the second part hits… It’s a recent addition that really completed the song. And made it absolutely heart wrenching. But what beautiful vulnerability and art. Ren is bringing us together as humans with empathy and shared emotions. We relate. We are less alone.
“As teenagers, we think we’re immortal.” So true. It’s been almost 50 years since I lost my friend, my heart. I still miss him and think about what could have been. I was angry for a long time. “How could he put us through such pain?” And, then I softened, and I realized that his pain was so much greater than ours. His pain was so intense that he could only see one way out of it. He found his path to relief. I still wish I had seen it coming.
Alex this is easily my fav reaction you’ve ever done, the break down everything!! TY for this me along with too many others related so well with Ren. Please do Sick Boi!!
I'M ON LIKE 15 OR 16 views of reactions on this song and you are the first..THE FIRST that accurately pointed out what it must have felt like when Ren looked over the bridge , understanding that he was just a few minutes late, and understood what he was looking at... And the fact that he carries that burden with him not being there on time for his best friend in life is DEVASTATING to say the least 💔 Fantastic reaction. ❤
I've been exactly where he is talking about in trying to help a friend. Talked him out of it many times. I didn't get a call the last time...Ren is changing lives and making connections he doesn't even realize. As spoken by him "Let's not forget that we are human beings".
Back in middle school my best friend tried to commit suicide and it failed. A couple of years after graduation he blacked out and was in a tub full of his own blood. The part where Ren pretty much said that he lost his childhood and pretty much considered his best friend his brother I felt that so hard. Honestly I’m so grateful that my best friend is still here.
Beautiful!! every time I listen to this song, I feel his pain through his voice and I cry for him, he needs the biggest hug of all! Everyone needs a hug in dark times
Thank you for the most thoughtful & heartfelt reaction to this piece. I hope that you will go deep into Ren’s catalog and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for introducing me to him via your reaction to Hi Ren. All good things to you..,
A great reaction and I feel it's the fact that Ren is able to speak about these things that makes him stronger. And his music is very therapeutic for himself as well as for us.
As a brit I love how clear his singing is, the lyrics he sings come through behind, or in front of the music. And the story he tells through music is just brilliant.
I have watched reactions to this more than 30 times and I just wanted to say I appreciate your discussion at the end ... very well said. I love your channel and your take on life issues...
What is amazing is how vulnerable Ren was at when he wrote this and created this video plus currently releasing to it all of us. 2nd is Ren’s loss of his childhood when he lost his innocence and feeling of immortality. He reminds me of the Maestro Tuomas Holopainen who composed most of Nightwish songs, poetry in his lyrics, and music. One theme Tuomas has is Dead Boy meaning a loss of childhood. Ren previous work seems to add meaning and us understand this video. For example, changing face of Ren walking through the cityscape suggests “eternal dancing” between darkness and light in one’s thoughts. Finally, while emphasizing the pain Ren’s friend Joe was going through also showing how hurt he was by the choice his friend Joe made along with the guilt of just possibly missing getting to Joe in time to save him or even to say goodbye plus Joe’s body was never found for closure. I am sure Ren has forgiven himself logically and intellectually but it is very much harder emotionally. In other words, the choices one makes affects more than oneself. As Aurora has sung ‘Let the River Run’.
Ren's heavy breathing at the transition represents him being out of breath from running as fast as he could to the bridge where Joe was. He got a call saying Joe was was there and he was thinking about jumping. Ren lived was closest to the bridge so he got dressed ran there as fast as he could and calling Joe the whole time and it's phone would ring alot and go to voicemail so he thought he still okay. When Ren got there he didn't see Joe anywhere so he called his phone and immediately it said, " this phone is no longer in service" and you only get that message when a phone has been broken or submerged in water and no longer working. So Ren was two minutes too late 😢 RIP JOE HUGHES and everyone else in the world lost to suicide. My best friend Chris's wife wanted to get a boat so they invested in a 24 foot Bayliner Cruiser. They would go out on it all the time. Then after a while her trips out on the water with him became less and less but she always pushed for him to go out by himself or I would go out with him and other friends. She said she was starting to get sea sick that's why she couldn't go as much. One day Chris and I were out on the boat and we saw the weather getting bad in the distance so we hades in much earlier than we usually would. He dropped me off and came home and caught his wife cheating on him. That's why she didn't want to go out on the boat anymore. She didn't know he saw them and he left, went back to the marina, took his boat to the spot we usually fished at, tied a rope around his neck, attached it to the boats anchor and the people in another boat not too far away saw him sitting on the edge of his boat with the anchor on his lap, he took a few deep breaths while looking up at the sky and then leaned forward and he was gone.
I commented on your first posting of this video just to say that Ren has so many meaningful songs but also fun and joyful songs. Please explore more of Ren’s music. 🥰
This is one of the many reasons i love Ren and that is ecause everything he does is him. Everything, even the really early stuff had authenticity about it. I didnt lose a friend to suicide but in a motorcycle accident when a drunk driver hit him. He was 20. That was 20 years ago and i still think about him.
Thank you for reuploading this. Ren’s work opens up the discussion to issues that a lot of others would sweep under the carpet. His raw honesty and unfiltered emotion in this song give me goosebumps too. I think you should definitely give Sick Boi a look (and lots of other Ren tracks too).
I hate that YT doesn't put a human voice to blocking things. You say a certain word, BAM! No care of context. No care that keeping a word from being said, gives it more power by hiding the harsh truth of it. Hiding that truth keeps a few from understanding or appreciating the the permanence of it. The more we understand a concept in context to our own lives as well as others, the less power it has and the less mystifying it it. I can't speak for anyone, or even begin to understand their "why", who has taken that action that can't be undone, but I think if some of these wanting souls had a better understanding of what it meant and an awareness that there are a lot of other people who have similar struggles as them, then maybe some of these folks would have been saved.
I am so happy for artist like Ren and others who are not afraid to share these painful moments in their lives in ways that others can relate to and process in ways that will have a positive impact on many lives going forward. I have explained in other comments on YT how Ren's art has affected me. I am thankful for his voice and I am thankful for the people sharing their thoughts and experiences because of his amazing story telling. It all leads to an understanding that the word is not bad. Saying the words does not cause people to act. Hiding that word can do more harm than good.
Also, keep in mind that people act differently when they're depressed. Not everyone puts on a front and acts like they are fine or happy, including myself. I've realized a lot of people I've been around have said things like, "positive vibes only". Check on your friends when they seem down and sad, too.
I think there is a lot of emphasis on the person with mental health problems and not enough of a nod to those who love them and struggle to help them, or for those who are left behind. This is an important angle of mental health and one that has been ignored for too long. This song puts that angle on the table. x
This one was tough....no doubt. I've already watched it several times and I've yet to keep a dry eye. That end segment is just soul crushing. The song starts out about Ren, he said this himself, but then he said that for some reason it felt incomplete. He started with the piano and the first line of that final sequence and said that the rest just kinda poured out of him. The emotion you hear, his tears, the breaking in his voice .... it's all genuine and real. That comes across vividly. Once again, Ren uses the power of his personal experiences and his musical talent to draw an emotional response from the listener.
Ren is awesome. 'nuff said! This is one of the best reactions I have ever seen from you. The telling of the story (not many have done that), the dissection of the song and your comments at the end were great. Thank you. And you really should take a look at Rens catalog. There are some jovial songs in amongst all the other stories and lectures 😊
"I tried to cut away my bitterness - hatchet job. I locked my youth inside a trunk inside a pick-up truck. Then dumped the whole thing over that same bridge the night you jumped. I think about that sometimes, vividly what it felt like to look down and see tranquility. One sudden movement in a world of possibility. Only one movement to expose our fragility. I fucking miss you, and I miss myself. I miss thinking that we're indestructible as well." omg Ren. that is exquisite writing. so beautiful but pain. wow.
This song is heart wrenchingly beautiful and a catalyst for healing and moving forward! Ren has given us a gift by sharing his own pain with the world! There are so many broken people who need this song now! My sincere condolences to anyone who has lost someone 🙏 love your reaction and subbed❤
for anyone out there that may have a loved one that is going threw a hard time, the best thing to do in that situation is to comfort them, let them talk to you and let them open up to you, and if they dont open up to you that is fine too, and dont get your feelings hurt if they say something mean in a moment of emotional distress because someone going through a mental episode will lash out at those around them, and sometimes its better to momentarily change the subject to something you both enjoy or a fond memory of times when they were having a good time. Just be warned that it is very hard to carry the weight of a depressed person, so try and get them help through more professional means, weather that be therapy or prescripted medication. Love you all and hope you are all doing very well today
Ren's hit number 1 in the UK album chart and is blowing up all over the world. I'd love to see your opinion of some of his other stuff too. Pick anything you haven't heard yet, he doesn't miss. Great video too man.
Having had my own battle with mental health issues I can relate to videos like this. I confess that one time in my life I actually attempted to take my own life. I'm doing so much better today. I know the mental health business doesn't always treat everyone the same. But there are good people out there actually helping people through their issues. I sought out the right help from doctors and my family and friends. It's those things but most importantly is my relationship with God that got me through.
Alex, I don't know how you're able to get so deep in the analytics of the songs you present to us, but fuck man, this song on it own and your ability to make it even more real is amazing. Thank you both Alex, Ren and all the other deep and meaningful songs Alex has broken down over the years. Keep it up dude.
I stomach sank just listening to the story 😢 I've been in a similar place. Thankfully the outpatient hospital i went to actually helped me! I've been in therapy for 2 years. It's still hard but at least I don't feel so alone anymore Thank you Alex for your reactions, They're great!
Ren has the ability to make you believe its happening to you, this is a good eye opener to the actual world we live in, never take anything for granted, every day is a blessing. ❤
Ren and Lo Spirit both write some really deep and relatable stuff, you should check out some of Lo Spirit's stuff like "Mind of Mine" and "Good Enough"
Great reaction on a very disturbing subject mate. Rens ability to conjure up such amazing relatable words is unbelievable. I'm 63 years old and Ren has knocked me off my feet. He never fails to come up with the goods. Pure class ❤️
Alex, you have no idea how people like Ren ànd you (!) change/have an impact on so many others' thoughts. Thank you, thank you, I´m so glad I found you a (long) time ago - reacting to PJ´s ´Black´. Greetings from Belgium
I've lost 2 friends to suicide and I never got to go to their funerals because I moved to a different state before it happened and I never got to say goodbye to them, I miss my friends dearly, thank you Ren for making this song and thank you Alex for reacting to it.
Great analysis at the end. Really. Here's my take. I'm sure you reacted to Hi Ren and if you noticed the last chord he played with his guitar didn't resolve. There was no ending, something was still left hanging. In this song, the piano ends with the last note that resolves. Finally. I think he's ready to move on from all his past that's been causing his stress and anxiety. His future is unlimited.
As a person who lost a friend to suicide it sucks but just know that it gets better I can't promise the pain will go away but eventually you learn to live with it and in a way you might even prefer to have the pain there because in a way you might consider it as them still being there with you
I was 24 when I tried to off myself. I’m better now, don’t cry I’m much better I wrote my family letters that they never got and cried myself to sleep Life’s not cheap Live it not like a sheep Be a nice human Help each other when we need In 2017 I checked into a mental hospital I wish that on no one! Worse than prison Be you, be true, and duck what people think! Much love! -peej
Hi Alex...I just want to say you got Ren so well when you said he doesn't do his music for frivolous reasons, he does it for change. This is the best way I've heard him described. This song lulls you into a false sense of security with that upbeat tune at the beginning, having us happily sing the catchy hook randomly. The first half of the song was about Ren's own struggle with those thoughts after all the suffering he went through. He had actually finished the song (but felt it was incomplete somehow). Two weeks before it's release, he had that interview with Knox where he talked about Joe for the first time in a long time and he said after he just started playing the piano and writing; the words just poured out if him. He said he wrote a couple of lines, recorded it and went on to the next and recorded that. He said he was in floods of tears throughout and instead of going back and perfecting that last section as he would normally do, he decided to leave it raw instead. And boy does it punch you in the gut! He then had it mastered and animated urgently to get it out with the rest of the song. ❤
This made me think of an old best friend of mine. She was the kind of person to try and make you happy all the time no matter how she felt. I always tried to do the same for her, but one day what she was dealing with just got too much for her. On August 15th 2020 she went for a late night walk to "clear her head" and she was never seen again. This song made me think even more that if I just called her or was with her I could've stopped it. If only I was there for her more, then maybe she'd still be here today. I know I shouldn't think like that but its so hard not to. It hurts so much thinking that, and everyday that goes by I just miss her more and more. I feel the same way he does with his friend, a piece of me died with her. A body was never found.
Alex, you're the first reactor to this song who didn't shed a single tear after hearing this song. BUT you're also the first (that I've watched) who actually got it right. And I mean, there's nothing complicated about the lyrics, right, especially if you read Ren's comment? But some people still try make suggestions. Myself, I've lost 2 friends to suicide. Well, one to overdose but I believe it was his way of going out. And I myself been to psychiatric wards 4 times now, and I know what it's like to want to end it all. Been feeling it again for the past 2 months. All in all, I was haunted with these feelings for like...23 years. More than half of my life. It's so hard... I can't describe it. So, I discovered Ren only recently. And I believe he's doing a great job to shed light on things our society tends to shun away, cancel it... Sorry for my English. I understand perfectly well but I am not very good at talking in English.
I'm glad he released this song, though I imagine it was incredibly painful. But getting something like this out there will help people in ways he could never imagine. I've had a lot of mental health struggles lately and I cried like a baby to this song for an hour straight when it first came out, and it helped, it reminded me how pain can spread, and there's always something else
I knew parts of the story before I watched this but after watching the original video 3 times now it makes me cry everytime. I am pleased that you are relating the full story to your viewers
RUclips blocked my first upload of this video for violating community guidelines. This one should work!
It's such a great reaction, one of the best out there, even Ren tagged it on his Instagram last night before it got taken off.
I hope it won't be blocked again
Missed your reaction. Glad it is back. Really love your words on it. ✨
Ahh PG-fied it. Understandable. This video is an emotional rollercoaster
I was in the middle of leaving a comment on the first upload when it disappeared 😅
My wife would here this song and ask why I listen to "depressing" music.
I hear this, and it's fuel to keep moving forward. I am, and have been suicidal for more than a decade, but the heartbreak Ren shows makes me remember there are people that need me and people that love me. So I will never take my life, no matter how I feel. It's not about me. It's about those I love, and those who love me.
I will continue to do what I have always done, keep it in, put a smile on and press on
I know how you feel. I've struggled with depression most of my adult life (I'm 58), and have sometimes had suicidal thoughts. This song and others like it remind me of how much I would hurt my loved ones. My dad's 2 brothers committed suicide within a year of each other when I was too young to remember them. I would never want to do that to my family and friends. I wrote a blog about suicide a few years ago, but I don't think anybody but family members read it. It was easy to be vulnerable knowing that was probably going to be the case. Ren is really brave to be that vulnerable to so many people.
With you my friends. Felt that way as long as I could remember but hey, if hell can't defeat us we may as well show our loved ones and the world
Are still there? Just checkin my friend... I feel like u. I want to belive it will change one day and i would be simply happy like normal people do...
As someone who has lost a friend to suicide I'm glad Ren had the strength to write this
@@sharttank5999 I know it's a scam man I appreciate ya though
@@paulfisher759
Same😢
Additional info, Ren initially planned this song to be just the first part (which has been ready for release for a while) but he felt it was incomplete and he was dreading releasing it. So he wrote the second part a few weeks ago after talking about Joe during his interview with Knox Hill.
I think it's super impressive that he can just, like, if he thinks something's not "good" enough, proactively take the steps to make it better. It's very inspiring
This song is so powerful. Anyone who has ever lost a loved one can find something to relate to with this song.
I think the difference that sets Ren’s vulnerability apart from other artists is that he has a large amount of insight into his own situation and mental health. As a visual artist, I’ve always said that Greater specificity yields greater universality.
I'm glad you reuploaded this. I think it's really ironic that RUclips blocked your first upload for including material from Ren's community post that is already on RUclips.
So many of us want to give Ren a big ol' hug. He did a Twitch stream (he's "renmakestwitch" there) the day after this release to let people know he really is OK, that while this was drawing authentically on a painful memory, he has also come to peace with the loss of his friend. He was more concerned about whether his fans are OK after hearing the song.
Please do more Ren reactions, you can't miss with any of his songs ❤
You can't stop re-thinking what could have been done differently.. And it`s not a choice.. Its just there all the time.. What if.. Great reaction.. Shit i love Ren
I guess this is the piece of content that made me decide it's time to go back to that grave I haven't seen in 15 years.
My heart hurts for Ren. It's such a different loss. Even though it's been so long for me, it does feel strangely unresolved. I do miss those friends, we were never the same, we all fell apart. As I get older it feels more odd to miss him. I'm now pushing 40 missing an early 20-something. At this point, I think I miss who he could have been. Wasn't perfect, but he was a good kid, and I think he'd have been a good man one day. Sad that didn't happen.
I heard when he started recording that 2nd half he tried not to cry. He kept stopping recording to get it together. He finally decided to just let it all out, and left the raw emotion spill. I don't have sufficient words to describe what when and how much I relate 😢💜
I'm just glad mental health issues are more widely talked about and understood these days. 35 years ago they weren't, unless it was being talked about in hushed tones, like some dirty secret that was largely misunderstood. When you've had problems, you appreciate where things are at now with the subject. I'd encourage anyone NOT to bottle up how they're thinking or feeling and turn it inwards. Reach out, there's plenty of help nowadays and it's ok to not be ok.
I knew a friend like that.....i know that pain
I understand the self blame
I understand the numbing
I understand the lack of self care
I understand the memory blocking
I understand the missing missing someone
I understand alot of what he is saying. Cause i lost mike in 2013 in october........he was 17
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle."
--Ian Maclaren
The beauty of this song is it illustrates two sides of the suicide coin. The first half is about himself and the pain of living through what he was going through with Lyme and doing it would end his own pain. But then you flip the coin over it illustrates the the pain others feel if you do go through with it. It's that pendulum swaying from light to dark, the eternal dance. Live and suffer or die while others suffer from your loss.
Ren just pulls out the emotions we've tried to push down. I applaud him for sharing this with us
As someone who had 2 attempts in the past couple years. Spent 72 hrs on a psych hold from my second one. Lost my family from toxic marriage/divorce. This stuff hits hard. I’m still struggling sometimes but I’m in a much better place now.
Right here with ya in the same boat
I hope both of you are doing okay ❤️🩹
Sometimes the only thing that keeps us from ending it all is the smiles on other people's face. The only thing that kept me from jumping was seeing the beautiful smiling face of my daughter and then flashes of her sobbing i miss daddy.
Yeah, Ren used a couple of lines from Sick Boi. You should definitely check it out. And then everything else he has ever made 😂 So much greatness down the Ren rabbit hole - whether fun and upbeat or serious emotional songs. My personal favourites are The Hunger and Crutch feat. Bibi. This man is so damn talented and we need him.
As for this song, it is a masterpiece. Ren is leading the way in getting us to talk about things we don’t talk about enough. The chorus in the first part is even so catchy that he is not only getting us talking about suicide but singing it 😅
And then the second part hits… It’s a recent addition that really completed the song. And made it absolutely heart wrenching. But what beautiful vulnerability and art. Ren is bringing us together as humans with empathy and shared emotions. We relate. We are less alone.
“As teenagers, we think we’re immortal.” So true.
It’s been almost 50 years since I lost my friend, my heart.
I still miss him and think about what could have been.
I was angry for a long time. “How could he put us through such pain?” And, then I softened, and I realized that his pain was so much greater than ours. His pain was so intense that he could only see one way out of it. He found his path to relief.
I still wish I had seen it coming.
Alex this is easily my fav reaction you’ve ever done, the break down everything!! TY for this me along with too many others related so well with Ren. Please do Sick Boi!!
Thank you for your reaction, Alex. Thank you for taking the time to break it all down. Please check out Money game 1, 2, and 3--they are excellent!
Thank you for explaining the back story.... It's so crucial.
My dad commited suicide and I cried like a baby at the end. The pain will never go away, you learn a little how to live with it. 💔
I'M ON LIKE 15 OR 16 views of reactions on this song and you are the first..THE FIRST that accurately pointed out what it must have felt like when Ren looked over the bridge , understanding that he was just a few minutes late, and understood what he was looking at... And the fact that he carries that burden with him not being there on time for his best friend in life is DEVASTATING to say the least 💔
Fantastic reaction. ❤
No way you have reacted to this! 👊 I can't wait till you get through more of his songs I'll be here to watch cheers m8! 👍
Thanks for reuploading this. It deserves to be heard. Ren is such a gem. I love his ability to always just be authentically himself. 🖤
I've been exactly where he is talking about in trying to help a friend. Talked him out of it many times. I didn't get a call the last time...Ren is changing lives and making connections he doesn't even realize. As spoken by him "Let's not forget that we are human beings".
@-The_Alex_Hefner_. Be glad to talk. This song has hit me hard.
Back in middle school my best friend tried to commit suicide and it failed. A couple of years after graduation he blacked out and was in a tub full of his own blood. The part where Ren pretty much said that he lost his childhood and pretty much considered his best friend his brother I felt that so hard. Honestly I’m so grateful that my best friend is still here.
Beautiful!! every time I listen to this song, I feel his pain through his voice and I cry for him, he needs the biggest hug of all! Everyone needs a hug in dark times
Be kind to people. Words I try to live by. Thanks for a great, important reaction to this great, important song.
This is such an important topic and we need to talk about it more than we do. Thank you for your reaction!
Thank you for the most thoughtful & heartfelt reaction to this piece. I hope that you will go deep into Ren’s catalog and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for introducing me to him via your reaction to Hi Ren. All good things to you..,
A great reaction and I feel it's the fact that Ren is able to speak about these things that makes him stronger. And his music is very therapeutic for himself as well as for us.
As a brit I love how clear his singing is, the lyrics he sings come through behind, or in front of the music. And the story he tells through music is just brilliant.
I have watched reactions to this more than 30 times and I just wanted to say I appreciate your discussion at the end ... very well said. I love your channel and your take on life issues...
When the song dropped, I cried my eyes for like couple of hours, and I haven't listened to it since then. Such a heart-wrenching song. 💔
What is amazing is how vulnerable Ren was at when he wrote this and created this video plus currently releasing to it all of us.
2nd is Ren’s loss of his childhood when he lost his innocence and feeling of immortality. He reminds me of the Maestro Tuomas Holopainen who composed most of Nightwish songs, poetry in his lyrics, and music. One theme Tuomas has is Dead Boy meaning a loss of childhood.
Ren previous work seems to add meaning and us understand this video. For example, changing face of Ren walking through the cityscape suggests “eternal dancing” between darkness and light in one’s thoughts.
Finally, while emphasizing the pain Ren’s friend Joe was going through also showing how hurt he was by the choice his friend Joe made along with the guilt of just possibly missing getting to Joe in time to save him or even to say goodbye plus Joe’s body was never found for closure. I am sure Ren has forgiven himself logically and intellectually but it is very much harder emotionally. In other words, the choices one makes affects more than oneself.
As Aurora has sung ‘Let the River Run’.
This is one of the most understanding and empathetic reactions I have seen to this track. Thank you Alex.
I agree I’ve never seen this channel before but subbed immediately.
Best reaction I’ve watched and I’ve watched so many! 👍
Please review more Ren for us. Starting with 'the Tale of Jenny and Screech (full)', and 'Money Game pts 1&2'
Ren's heavy breathing at the transition represents him being out of breath from running as fast as he could to the bridge where Joe was. He got a call saying Joe was was there and he was thinking about jumping. Ren lived was closest to the bridge so he got dressed ran there as fast as he could and calling Joe the whole time and it's phone would ring alot and go to voicemail so he thought he still okay. When Ren got there he didn't see Joe anywhere so he called his phone and immediately it said, " this phone is no longer in service" and you only get that message when a phone has been broken or submerged in water and no longer working. So Ren was two minutes too late 😢 RIP JOE HUGHES and everyone else in the world lost to suicide.
My best friend Chris's wife wanted to get a boat so they invested in a 24 foot Bayliner Cruiser. They would go out on it all the time. Then after a while her trips out on the water with him became less and less but she always pushed for him to go out by himself or I would go out with him and other friends. She said she was starting to get sea sick that's why she couldn't go as much. One day Chris and I were out on the boat and we saw the weather getting bad in the distance so we hades in much earlier than we usually would. He dropped me off and came home and caught his wife cheating on him. That's why she didn't want to go out on the boat anymore. She didn't know he saw them and he left, went back to the marina, took his boat to the spot we usually fished at, tied a rope around his neck, attached it to the boats anchor and the people in another boat not too far away saw him sitting on the edge of his boat with the anchor on his lap, he took a few deep breaths while looking up at the sky and then leaned forward and he was gone.
I commented on your first posting of this video just to say that Ren has so many meaningful songs but also fun and joyful songs. Please explore more of Ren’s music. 🥰
Great reaction mate, very hard subject to cover, kudos to Ren. Please do more on Ren, the guy is a musical and lyrical genius.
This is one of the many reasons i love Ren and that is ecause everything he does is him. Everything, even the really early stuff had authenticity about it. I didnt lose a friend to suicide but in a motorcycle accident when a drunk driver hit him. He was 20. That was 20 years ago and i still think about him.
Ren's pain and anguish is palpable and heartbreaking. Great reaction Bro
Really, really, really great reaction. Thank you so much!
It’s such a beautiful song.
Thank you for reuploading this. Ren’s work opens up the discussion to issues that a lot of others would sweep under the carpet. His raw honesty and unfiltered emotion in this song give me goosebumps too.
I think you should definitely give Sick Boi a look (and lots of other Ren tracks too).
Love the fact that you showed so much care in explaining the story beyond the video, very respectful!
If we can't all deal with this, how will we ever heal from this?
Besides everything else and the last part that I can stop crying every time I heard it. I like how he close his eyes just with the last beat
This song speaks to the soul
I hate that YT doesn't put a human voice to blocking things. You say a certain word, BAM! No care of context. No care that keeping a word from being said, gives it more power by hiding the harsh truth of it. Hiding that truth keeps a few from understanding or appreciating the the permanence of it. The more we understand a concept in context to our own lives as well as others, the less power it has and the less mystifying it it.
I can't speak for anyone, or even begin to understand their "why", who has taken that action that can't be undone, but I think if some of these wanting souls had a better understanding of what it meant and an awareness that there are a lot of other people who have similar struggles as them, then maybe some of these folks would have been saved.
I am so happy for artist like Ren and others who are not afraid to share these painful moments in their lives in ways that others can relate to and process in ways that will have a positive impact on many lives going forward. I have explained in other comments on YT how Ren's art has affected me. I am thankful for his voice and I am thankful for the people sharing their thoughts and experiences because of his amazing story telling. It all leads to an understanding that the word is not bad. Saying the words does not cause people to act. Hiding that word can do more harm than good.
Also, keep in mind that people act differently when they're depressed. Not everyone puts on a front and acts like they are fine or happy, including myself. I've realized a lot of people I've been around have said things like, "positive vibes only". Check on your friends when they seem down and sad, too.
I think there is a lot of emphasis on the person with mental health problems and not enough of a nod to those who love them and struggle to help them, or for those who are left behind. This is an important angle of mental health and one that has been ignored for too long. This song puts that angle on the table. x
Thank you Alex
This one was tough....no doubt. I've already watched it several times and I've yet to keep a dry eye. That end segment is just soul crushing. The song starts out about Ren, he said this himself, but then he said that for some reason it felt incomplete. He started with the piano and the first line of that final sequence and said that the rest just kinda poured out of him. The emotion you hear, his tears, the breaking in his voice .... it's all genuine and real. That comes across vividly. Once again, Ren uses the power of his personal experiences and his musical talent to draw an emotional response from the listener.
Ren is awesome. 'nuff said!
This is one of the best reactions I have ever seen from you. The telling of the story (not many have done that), the dissection of the song and your comments at the end were great.
Thank you.
And you really should take a look at Rens catalog. There are some jovial songs in amongst all the other stories and lectures 😊
"I tried to cut away my bitterness - hatchet job. I locked my youth inside a trunk inside a pick-up truck. Then dumped the whole thing over that same bridge the night you jumped. I think about that sometimes, vividly what it felt like to look down and see tranquility. One sudden movement in a world of possibility. Only one movement to expose our fragility. I fucking miss you, and I miss myself. I miss thinking that we're indestructible as well."
omg Ren. that is exquisite writing. so beautiful but pain. wow.
This song is heart wrenchingly beautiful and a catalyst for healing and moving forward! Ren has given us a gift by sharing his own pain with the world! There are so many broken people who need this song now! My sincere condolences to anyone who has lost someone 🙏 love your reaction and subbed❤
This is deep 😢
for anyone out there that may have a loved one that is going threw a hard time, the best thing to do in that situation is to comfort them, let them talk to you and let them open up to you, and if they dont open up to you that is fine too, and dont get your feelings hurt if they say something mean in a moment of emotional distress because someone going through a mental episode will lash out at those around them, and sometimes its better to momentarily change the subject to something you both enjoy or a fond memory of times when they were having a good time. Just be warned that it is very hard to carry the weight of a depressed person, so try and get them help through more professional means, weather that be therapy or prescripted medication. Love you all and hope you are all doing very well today
When Ren hits you in the feels. I've been Ren'd in the feels!
You've very eloquently described the feel. I feel it. I always will. X
It's ridiculous that RUclips's community guidelines would hamper such a humane and positive and inspiring reaction.
No many time I hear this song it hits so deep but heals a bit to not feel alone in the pain dealing with suicide of a loved one.
Ren's hit number 1 in the UK album chart and is blowing up all over the world. I'd love to see your opinion of some of his other stuff too. Pick anything you haven't heard yet, he doesn't miss. Great video too man.
Having had my own battle with mental health issues I can relate to videos like this. I confess that one time in my life I actually attempted to take my own life. I'm doing so much better today. I know the mental health business doesn't always treat everyone the same. But there are good people out there actually helping people through their issues. I sought out the right help from doctors and my family and friends. It's those things but most importantly is my relationship with God that got me through.
I also get chills every time herd line about his best friend 9:58
Ren is fearless. I'm in awe, every time.
This song make cry every time I heard it
Alex, I don't know how you're able to get so deep in the analytics of the songs you present to us, but fuck man, this song on it own and your ability to make it even more real is amazing. Thank you both Alex, Ren and all the other deep and meaningful songs Alex has broken down over the years. Keep it up dude.
I think this is my favourite reaction to this song. Well done ❤
I stomach sank just listening to the story 😢 I've been in a similar place. Thankfully the outpatient hospital i went to actually helped me! I've been in therapy for 2 years. It's still hard but at least I don't feel so alone anymore
Thank you Alex for your reactions, They're great!
One of the best reactions, with good context and understanding of Ren's story. I appreciate you man. Thank you for putting it out there.
Ren has the ability to make you believe its happening to you, this is a good eye opener to the actual world we live in, never take anything for granted, every day is a blessing. ❤
My buddy lost the fight to stay alive not too long ago. This song hurts so much but it is also cathartic.
Ren is such an amazing talent.
Alex ‘sad boy’ thumbnails always mean we’re in for a treat
REN reminds me that in this world, when we can be anything, just be kind!
Wow he made me cry 😢❤. This is pain to the purest. Missing someone who is gone forever.
Ren and Lo Spirit both write some really deep and relatable stuff, you should check out some of Lo Spirit's stuff like "Mind of Mine" and "Good Enough"
That was quality putting the just giving link.. thank you
sharing the love
Ones who do not struggle with mental health, don't really understand or see what ones who are going through
This song touched me more than I thought it would
Great reaction on a very disturbing subject mate. Rens ability to conjure up such amazing relatable words is unbelievable.
I'm 63 years old and Ren has knocked me off my feet. He never fails to come up with the goods. Pure class ❤️
I'm 62, and have the same exactly the same. Can't get enough.
Alex, you have no idea how people like Ren ànd you (!) change/have an impact on so many others' thoughts. Thank you, thank you, I´m so glad I found you a (long) time ago - reacting to PJ´s ´Black´. Greetings from Belgium
I've lost 2 friends to suicide and I never got to go to their funerals because I moved to a different state before it happened and I never got to say goodbye to them, I miss my friends dearly, thank you Ren for making this song and thank you Alex for reacting to it.
Great analysis at the end. Really. Here's my take. I'm sure you reacted to Hi Ren and if you noticed the last chord he played with his guitar didn't resolve. There was no ending, something was still left hanging. In this song, the piano ends with the last note that resolves. Finally. I think he's ready to move on from all his past that's been causing his stress and anxiety. His future is unlimited.
As a person who lost a friend to suicide it sucks but just know that it gets better I can't promise the pain will go away but eventually you learn to live with it and in a way you might even prefer to have the pain there because in a way you might consider it as them still being there with you
I was 24 when I tried to off myself.
I’m better now, don’t cry
I’m much better
I wrote my family letters that they never got and cried myself to sleep
Life’s not cheap
Live it not like a sheep
Be a nice human
Help each other when we need
In 2017 I checked into a mental hospital
I wish that on no one! Worse than prison
Be you, be true, and duck what people think!
Much love! -peej
Hi Alex...I just want to say you got Ren so well when you said he doesn't do his music for frivolous reasons, he does it for change. This is the best way I've heard him described.
This song lulls you into a false sense of security with that upbeat tune at the beginning, having us happily sing the catchy hook randomly. The first half of the song was about Ren's own struggle with those thoughts after all the suffering he went through. He had actually finished the song (but felt it was incomplete somehow). Two weeks before it's release, he had that interview with Knox where he talked about Joe for the first time in a long time and he said after he just started playing the piano and writing; the words just poured out if him. He said he wrote a couple of lines, recorded it and went on to the next and recorded that. He said he was in floods of tears throughout and instead of going back and perfecting that last section as he would normally do, he decided to leave it raw instead. And boy does it punch you in the gut! He then had it mastered and animated urgently to get it out with the rest of the song. ❤
Your first video was amazing!
Thank you for taking the time to f**k the youtube powers that be....
Music transcends all!!
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
This made me think of an old best friend of mine. She was the kind of person to try and make you happy all the time no matter how she felt. I always tried to do the same for her, but one day what she was dealing with just got too much for her. On August 15th 2020 she went for a late night walk to "clear her head" and she was never seen again. This song made me think even more that if I just called her or was with her I could've stopped it. If only I was there for her more, then maybe she'd still be here today. I know I shouldn't think like that but its so hard not to. It hurts so much thinking that, and everyday that goes by I just miss her more and more. I feel the same way he does with his friend, a piece of me died with her. A body was never found.
First time I've heard this one. Had me bawling at the end. Ren is so amazing. Such an artist. Makes you FEEL stuff.
Love the reaction and appreciate the time that you took with this one. Peace friend.
Thank you SO MUCH for sharing what he wrote about Joe at the beginning...
Alex, you're the first reactor to this song who didn't shed a single tear after hearing this song. BUT you're also the first (that I've watched) who actually got it right. And I mean, there's nothing complicated about the lyrics, right, especially if you read Ren's comment? But some people still try make suggestions.
Myself, I've lost 2 friends to suicide. Well, one to overdose but I believe it was his way of going out. And I myself been to psychiatric wards 4 times now, and I know what it's like to want to end it all. Been feeling it again for the past 2 months. All in all, I was haunted with these feelings for like...23 years. More than half of my life. It's so hard... I can't describe it. So, I discovered Ren only recently. And I believe he's doing a great job to shed light on things our society tends to shun away, cancel it...
Sorry for my English. I understand perfectly well but I am not very good at talking in English.
I'm glad he released this song, though I imagine it was incredibly painful. But getting something like this out there will help people in ways he could never imagine. I've had a lot of mental health struggles lately and I cried like a baby to this song for an hour straight when it first came out, and it helped, it reminded me how pain can spread, and there's always something else
I knew parts of the story before I watched this but after watching the original video 3 times now it makes me cry everytime. I am pleased that you are relating the full story to your viewers